[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5842]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



         INTRODUCTION OF THE GREAT APE CONSERVATION ACT OF 2000

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                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 13, 2000

  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, according to Jane Goodall, one 
of the world's leading primatologists and renowned authority on 
chimpanzees, all four species of great ape in Africa are in desperate 
trouble. If action is not taken now, it is likely there will be no 
viable populations of gorillas, orangutans, bonobos and chimpanzees 
living in the wild within 20 years. Such an ecological tragedy cannot 
be allowed to pass unnoticed.
  The threats to the apes stem largely from increased commercial 
logging that facilitates both habitat loss and a growing and largely 
unregulated commercial bush meat trade. Bush meat, the term used to 
describe wildlife used for meat consumption, includes elephants, 
gorillas, chimpanzees, forest antelope and a variety of other species. 
Once only used as a subsistence food source, the commercial bush meat 
trade has skyrocketed in recent years with devastating impacts on 
wildlife populations, many of which are threatened and endangered. Not 
only is this commercial trade being used to supply urban populations in 
Africa, international trade is also growing.
  We are only now beginning to understand and appreciate the complex 
role of great apes in maintaining the ecological health and 
biodiversity of tropical and subtropical forest habitats. Recent 
research indicates that these primates are particularly important for 
seed dispersal and habitat modification. Biologists fear that the loss 
of all great apes could irrevocably alter forest structure and the 
composition of species which could exacerbate other environmental 
threats caused by deforestation and agriculture.
  Additionally, recent information strongly suggests that the 
consumption of primate bushmeat in the Congo Basin has the potential to 
become a devastating human health crisis. According to world expert and 
bushmeat Crisis Task Force member, Dr. Beatrice Hahn, research 
reasonably indicates that humans might acquire the immuno-deficiency 
syndrome (HIV) through the ingestion of primate tissue. Research also 
suggests that other viruses, including the Ebola virus, may be possibly 
linked to non-human primates and could be transmitted to humans through 
bush meat consumption.
  A broad range of actions will be needed if there is any hope to 
protect and hopefully recover great ape populations in Africa. Logging 
companies must halt the flow of bushmeat from their operations. Long 
term support for protected areas, national parks, and buffer zones must 
be secured to protect habitat and wildlife. Law enforcement capacity to 
enable countries to enforce wildlife protection laws must be developed. 
Finally, efforts must be undertaken to help rural populations develop 
alternative sources of protein that will reduce the demand for 
bushmeat.
  Today, I am introducing the Great Ape Conservation Act to address the 
imperiled status of Africa's large primates. Modeled after the highly 
successful African and Asian Elephant and Rhino Conservation Acts, the 
Great Ape Conservation Act would authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to assist in the conservation and protection of great apes by 
providing grants to local wildlife management authorities and other 
organizations and individuals involved in the conservation, management, 
protection and restoration of great ape populations and their habitats. 
These projects tend to be implemented locally, working with affected 
communities, in order to be most effective.
  The challenges facing the conservation of great apes are immense. 
Unfortunately, the resources so far available from the United Nations 
to cope with these threats have not been commensurate to the task. This 
bill would establish a Great Ape Conservation Fund as a separate 
account in the existing multinational Species Conservation Fund in the 
U.S. Treasury to address this deficiency. Over five years, the bill 
would authorize $5 million per year to support conservation grant 
activities. Scientific research and monitoring of ape populations and 
habitats, assistance in the development and implementation of habitat 
management plans, protection and acquisition of threatened habitats, 
enforcement of domestic laws relating to resource management, and other 
conservation measures would be included in the menu of eligible grant 
activities. Importantly, grants under this new program could also be 
used to support enforcement and implementation of trade prohibitions 
and restrictions established under the Convention on International 
Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES. These grants would allow 
wildlife management authorities in the Congo Basin the flexibility they 
need to work cooperatively with affected local human populations. And 
only by incorporating the participation of local residents will we be 
able to address the many social and economic factors preventing the 
long-term conservation and protection of great apes.
  International efforts to prevent the extinction of gorillas, 
orangutans, bonobos and chimpanzees will require the leadership of the 
United States. It will also require the United States to work 
collaboratively with those countries in Africa that have within their 
boundaries any part of the range of great apes. The task ahead is 
daunting. But the ecological consequences of not acting are far more 
tragic if it means that great apes will cease to exist in the wild. The 
Great Ape Conservation Act would be one significant step to avoid the 
permanent loss of great apes in Africa, and I urge all members to 
support this important legislation.

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